Buttermilk Fig Cake

When most people think of figs, they think of dried Calimyrna figs, those light brown sticky figs that my grandfather used to bring home along with bags of assorted nuts. While an excellent snack (and all the more so because, dried, they're available any time), in my opinion they are nothing compared to fresh black Mission figs. Not very sweet, these have an almost musky taste and, in all honesty, often pair better with savory foods than sweet.


That said, upon deciding one day that I had a hankering for figs, I decided to use them in a sweet preparation -- namely, a buttermilk fig cake. Now, I'm a very nervous (and inexperienced) baker, so I'm always wary to diverge from a recipe. However, I just couldn't find a recipe that incorporated everything I wanted! You see, the older I get, the more my sweet tooth disappears. So I couldn't have a cake that was terribly sweet (sacrilege, I know). And that meant I wanted a mix of fresh figs and dried. I also wanted lots of spices, since gingerbread is one of the few cakes the vegetarian is truly fond of. And some nuts to cut the sweetness.


I ended up combining several recipes and, much to my delight (because I kept muttering under my breath that it would never work), the cake was both delicious and not very sweet! More like a spice cake than anything else, it would be wonderful with afternoon tea. We shared it with friends, who were big fans as well. I hope you agree!


Buttermilk Fig Cake
adapted from Fresh and La Mia Cucina

• 2 eggs
• 2 egg whites
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 7 1/2 ounces fig preserves
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
• 1 teaspoon allspice, ground
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves, ground
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups fresh figs, chopped
• 1/3 cup pecans, chopped
• 15 dried figs, chopped
• cooking spray

The Glaze

• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier

Preheat oven to 350F. Beat eggs and egg whites in a mixing bowl until frothy. With beaters still running, add in granulated sugar, vegetable oil and fig preserves. Sift together flour, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, kosher salt, baking soda and baking powder. Add sifted dry ingredients and buttermilk, alternately adding a little of each, to egg mixture. Mix very well (it helps if you have an extra set of hands -- one person adds ingredients while the other mixes). Mix in vanilla extract. Fold in fresh figs, pecans and dried figs. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Pour batter into pan. Bake 55-65 minutes, until a chopstick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine buttermilk, powdered sugar, baking soda, cornstarch and butter. Bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes, stirring. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Stir in vanilla extract and Grand Marnier. Remove sides from springform pan. Drizzle glaze over cake. Enjoy!

Make It a Meal: So your guests still have room for dessert, precede this cake with a light dish of Olive Oil Roasted Eggplant with Lemon, served over fresh pasta. The cake is wonderful topped with vanilla ice cream or even whipped cream.


Drink Pairings: A Zinfandel, such as 7 Deadly Zins was great with the main meal, but, since you've already opened the bottle of Grand Marnier, why not spice things up a bit and make Sangria? I recommend White Zinfandel Sangria; it would even work with the cake!



Leftovers: Leftover cake makes a wonderful breakfast the next morning. It also works as an afternoon pick-me-up, particularly with a cup of tea!


Links to other fig noshes:

• Figs! from Simply Recipes
• The best fig tart from Chez Pim
• Grown-up Fig Cookies from 101 Cookies
• Fig Galette from Simply Recipes
• Roasted Figs with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Agave Glaze from Kalyn's Kitchen